Casing-perforator.



PATENTED APR. '7, 1903.

P. H. MACK. Y GASING PBRFORATOR. APPLICATIONv FILED YDEO. 24, 1902.A

No MODEL.

QAWW/MY UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

PATRICK H. MACK, OF BRADFORD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO OIL WELL SUPPLY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A .COR-

PoRA'rIoN or PENNSYLVANIA.

oAslNo-ruanroRATola.`

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 724,904, datedjAprl 7, 1903.

Y Application filed December 24, 1902. Serial No. 136.474. (No model.)

T0 all whom, t mayconccrn: f I Beit known Ythat I, PATRICK H. MACK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bradford, county of McKean, State of Pennsyl- Vania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oasing-Perforators; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a central section, parts broken away, of a perforator embodying my inveu' tion in position in a section of casing which it is designed to perforate. Fig. 2 is 'anenlarged central section of the perforator and casing shown in Fig. l, the punches projected and the casing perforated. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section of the perforator on the line 3 3, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detached view of the wedge which projects the punches.- Fig. 5 is an inverted plan viewof the wedge shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6` is an enlarged detail view of a portion of the telescoping stern of the wedge.

Like symbols refer to like parts whereve they occur.

My invention relates to the construction of that class of devices used in the operation of oil-wells termed perforators and especially designed for perforating the casing when in position and at any location circumstances may require, and has for its object the production of a strong and durable tool, readily dismantled for repair, and when in use adapted to maintain its position in the casingY against accidental displacement while in operation.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, after the'insertion of the casing in the well, which is done during the drilling or boring thereof, it frequently becomes necessaryto bleed the casing, as, for instance, to allow the escape of silt or like deposit which packs the casing and prevents its removal when necessary, or where it becomes necessary to perforate the casing in the oil-bearing strata for the admission of the oil or the formation of oil-inlets, all of which has to be done at great depth and requires a tool of great strength,

extreme simplicity, accuracy of adjustment, and one not liable to be jarred out of position after its operation commences.

In carrying out my invention Iy provide a perforator-head having an axial passage for the reception Aof a wedge member, oppositely and radially disposed chambers for the reception of the punch shells or cases, punchshells or punch-cases and included punches, the punch-shells insertible and removable from the periphery of the perforator-head, and means forl securing the punch-shells in position in the head, whereby the punches may be combined with the perforator-head without thinning its walls and reducing the strength of the head and the-punches may be readily removed and replaced, and such a construction embodies the Inain feature of my invention. I also combine with the perforator-head and its punches a wedge for projecting the punches and a telescoping stern for actuating the Wedge, whereby after the wedge first engages and sets the punches its contact therewith remains constant, and the subsequent force for projecting the punches is applied tothe wedge without the withdrawal of the wedge or release of the punches, and thus all accidental displacement of the tool after its adjustment in the casing is avoided, and such a construction embodies another feature of my invention.

There are Yother minor features of invention involved in particular details of the elemental construction, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

I will now proceed lto describe my invention more fully, so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings, A indicates the casing to be perforated; B, the perforator-headwithin the casing opposite the Aportion of the casing to be punched or perforated; C, the tubing to which the perforator-head is screwed or attached and bymeans of which the perforator is lowered to the desired position in the cas ing; D, the wedge for projecting the'punches of the perforator-head; E, the telescoping stem to which the Wedge D is attached, and F the wire or other cable by means of which or its equivalent the wedge D is operated to set and project the punches.

The perforator-head B has a central or axial passage l) for the reception of the punchoperating wedge D and oppositely and radially disposed punch-chambers b for the reception of the punch-cases or punch-shells G, and a centrally-disposed internally-threaded chamber Z)la for coupling with the tubing C, to which the perforator-head is attached. lThis chamber h2 forms an annular shoulder within the perforator-head and marginal to the axial passage b for the wedge D, and is intended to engage a collar d or shoulder on the upper end of the wedge D and limit the downward movement of the wedge, for purposes which will hereinafter appear. The punch-chambers b of the perforator-head are also shouldered, as at b3, to form a seat for the inner ends of the punch-shells or punch-cases G, and the perforator-head B is provided at right angles to said punch-chambers b' with threaded dowel pins H for retaining the punch-cases or punch-shells G in the perforater-head.

G indicates the punch-shells, formed on the interior and at their forward ends with shoulders or seats g for a spiral punch-spring and on their exterior with a dowel-groove g to receive the inner end of the dowel-pin H, by means of which the punch-shells G are secured in the perforator-head. The interior of the punch-shell is also provided with a spline g2,which enters a corresponding groove in the punch I to prevent the rotation of the punch.

I indicates the punches,which are provided with shoulders 'i or equivalent seats for the spiral punch-springs, and s is a spiral punchspring, which encircles the punch within the punch-shell and which has a bearing on the respective shell-shoulder g and punch-shoulder t'. The heads of the punches I, with which the wedge D engages, are each formed with an inclined face 2 (see Fig. 2) above the axial center of the punch and vertical or square faces i3 below the axial center of the punch, so as to insure the bearing between the wedge and punch being on the axial center of the punch during the punching operation. The inclined faces of the wedge D, by which the punches I are projected, terminate at such a distance below the collar or shoulder (Z of the wedge (see Fig. 2) that when the collar d strikes the marginal shoulder of the axial wedge-passage b and the wedge is arrested the punches I will have been fully projected and their heads will bear on the parallel faces of the wedge below said collar d.

The telescoping stem of the wedge D, through the medium of which the wedge is connected with the wire cable F, is composed of the included member e, having a head at its upper end, its lower end threaded into a threaded socket in the upper end of wedge D, an including member d, having on its interior a shoulder with which the head on the member e engages, and an upper member (or hammer member) e2, connected to the upper end of the member c by a coupling e3 o1' in other suitable manner. The upper or hammer member c2 is provided with an eye or equivalent means for connecting the wire cable F thereto.

The construction of the several members of the device being substantially such as hereinbefore pointed out, the parts may be assembled by first encircling the punches I with the springs s and passing the punches and springs into the punch-shells or punch-cases G, next introducing the punch-shells G into the punch-chambers b' from the exterior or periphery of the perforator-head B,and nally introducing or setting home the screw dowelpin H to hold the punch-shells or punch-cases in fixed position within the punch-chambers of the head, after which the perforator-head may be screwed onto a section of tubing C. The telescoping stem E is assembled by inserting the member c within the member e, its lower end projecting through the axial opening of said member e', after which the hammer member c2 is connected to the opposite end of member c' by the coupling c3, the threaded end of member e is screwed into the threaded socket on the upper or collarend of the wedge D, and the wedge D and telescoping stem are finally introduced into the tubing C and the axial orwedge passage b of the perforator-head B.

In operation the perforator-head B is lowered in the casing until it is opposite the point where the perforations are required, whereupon the wedge D and telescoping stem are lowered through the tubing C until the wedge enters between theheads of the punches I I. (See Fig. l.) The hammer member e2 of the telescoping stem is then allowed to descend and cause aslight advance of the Wedge D, which sets the punches and prevents the displacement of the perforator-head during its subsequent operation. The punches having been thus set, the telescoping stem may be subsequently manipulated, through the medium of the cable F, to cause repeated strokes of the hammer member e2 on the head of member e of the telescoping stem, and thus force the wedge D gradually farther and farther between the heads of punches I I until the punches are fully projected and the casing perforated, at which time the parallel sides of the wedge below the collar Zwill rest between the heads of the punches, and the collar d, by striking on the shoulder of the perforator-head, will advise the operator that the casing has been perforated.

It will be noted that the initial drop of the hammer member e2 of the telescoping stem will so advance the wedge as to set the punches, after which it will be impossible to accidentally displace the perforator-head B from its adjusted position by any less force than will entirely withdraw the wedge from between the heads of the punches I I, which IOS IIO

movement of the wedge is prevented from accidentally occurring' by reason of the tele-l scoping stem of the Wedge.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a casing-perforator, the combination with a perforator-head having an axial wedgepassage, and radial punch-chambers having shoulders on their interior, of punch-cases adapted to engage the shoulders on the interior of the punch-chambers, means for confining the punch-cases in the head, punches, and a wedge for projecting the same, substantially as and for the purposes specied.

2. In a casing-perforator, the combination with a perforator-head having an axial wedgepassage, and radially-disposed punch-chambers, punch-cases insertible from the eXterior or periphery ofthe perforatorlhead, means for securing the punch-cases in the punchchambers of the head, punches, and a wedge for projecting the punches, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a casing-perfoiator, the combination with a perforator-head having an axial wedgepassage and radially-disposed punch-chambers, of punches, punch-cases therefor having a dowel-groove on the exterior, dowel-pins for securing the punch-cases in the perfo- 3: rator-head, and a wedge for projecting the punches, substantially as and for the purposes specified. v

4. In a casing-perforator, the combination with a perforator-head having an axial pas- 3 5 sage for a wedge and radially-disposed punchchambers, of shouldered punches, internallyshouldered punch-casings, a spiral punchspring within the punch-case, means for securing the punch-cases in the chambers of the perforator-head, and a wedge for projecting the punchessubstantially as and for the purposes speciedf,

5. In a casing-perforator, the combination with a perforator-head having an axial Wedgepassage and radially-disposed punch-chambers, of punches having heads with inclined faces above and square faces below the axial center of the punch, and a wedge for projectingthe punches, substantially as and for the purposes specied.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 20th day of December, 1902.

PATRICK H. MACK. Witnesses:

WM. EDYRE, HUGH M. STERLING. 

